Fukutarou Dazaifu Store in Fukuoka, Dazaifu Items ordered: - Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) grilled rice ball - 380 yen - Shiso (perilla leaf) + mentaiko topping - 50 yen Fukutarou is famous for their mentaiko snacks, but at this store, the grilled rice balls are very popular. They also sell mentaiko snacks for souvenirs. After a typhoon, the store opened late at 12:45. I arrived around 12:30 and was the first in line, but soon a long line formed behind me. It seems like there's usually a wait. You can place your order first and then pay inside the store. The freshly grilled rice balls inside the store were piping hot! The surface was crispy and fragrant, while the inside was fluffy. There's mentaiko inside, cooked through, and the topping is fresh mentaiko, so you can enjoy both flavors. The mentaiko is spicy and flavorful, and the shiso leaf topping adds a nice touch. There's also a pickled mustard greens topping that looked delicious. The deliciousness makes it worth waiting in line. Fukutarou 1-14-28 Saifu, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture Hours: 9:00-17:00 Closed on December 31

◉Genre: Sweets, Onigiri ◉Area: Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Omotesando ◉Access: Less than 5 minutes on foot from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine ◉Parking: Not available ◉Credit card payment: Not available ◉Number of visits: First time ◉Number of reviews: 1st review On this day, I happened to visit "Fukutaro Dazaifu Store." ◇Exterior and Interior This is a mentaiko (spicy cod roe) shop located on Omotesando Street of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The exterior has a unique charm that sets it apart from other stores, giving off a souvenir shop-like atmosphere. ◇Seating There are a few seats available for dining in. ◇Menu Composition Products related to mentaiko. The items I ordered are as follows: - Mentaiko Yaki Onigiri (230 yen) → Including tax. While Fukutaro is known for its "menbei" snack, this store also sells easy-to-eat grilled rice balls, which seem to be designed for eating on the go. The grilled rice ball here is made with mentaiko, fitting a shape closer to senbei (rice cracker) or imagawayaki (sweet pancake). It lacks the softness of rice and instead has a crispy texture, which might be a matter of personal preference. ◆Strengths They offer both menbei and grilled rice balls! ◆Customer Service Average. ◆Summary I thought it might have been better with some toppings, but it's perfect for a quick snack. Also, although it's unrelated to this store, one thing I noticed at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Omotesando is that most of the mentaiko products were more like "mentaiko-flavored," and I couldn't find authentic ones. I thought there could be more ways to market them. Thank you for the meal.

I did a food tour on the approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine... Earlier, I had a freshly baked mentaiko France at YAMAYA. Next, I headed to the opposite side of the approach from the station, to another famous mentaiko shop called "Fukutarou". Just like YAMAYA, Fukutarou also had a stylish exterior, and it seemed like they were consciously competing with each other, with Fukutarou offering "mentaiko rice balls"!! The competition in terms of attracting customers was intense, with Fukutarou being the clear winner, especially with a high percentage of female customers. - Mentaiko Rice Ball (with shiso and mentaiko): 280 yen (Mentaiko Rice Ball 230 yen + Shiso Mentaiko 50 yen) - Menbei Value Pack (1 pack): 450 yen There was a huge crowd waiting for the mentaiko rice balls that you can eat while walking around ( ﾟдﾟ)ｹﾞｯ! If you can eat it for 280 yen, then of course you would wait~!! I was torn between the pickled vegetables and extra mentaiko, but I chose the extra mentaiko. After about 15 minutes of waiting, I got a piping hot mentaiko rice ball, which was so hot that it was hard to even take a picture (lol). The surface was crispy, with mentaiko inside, but the heat made the flavor a bit weak. Looking around, everyone was letting it cool down before eating, but I didn't have a problem eating it despite the heat (*^^*). Maybe it would be even more delicious with mayonnaise to enhance the flavor? In any case, it's a popular shop, so it's worth a visit when in Dazaifu, and they also had a great deal on Menbei. Thank you for the meal~♪ [Tabelog Rating] ☆3.12 [Tanuki Rating (Lunch)] ★Overall... 36 points ★Atmosphere... 7 points ★Food... 7 points ★Menu... 8 points ★Cost performance... 7 points ★Likelihood to revisit... 7 points

When it comes to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, it's all about food. Apparently, there are many delicious restaurants lined up there. I didn't know much about it, but it seems that there are a lot of tasty options. So, I tried the mentaiko (spicy cod roe) onigiri from "Fukutaro Dazaifu Store". It's a luxurious dish where mentaiko is grilled on top of onigiri. It's made fresh after ordering, so it was piping hot when I received it. The crispy texture with the mentaiko and seaweed was delicious! You can also customize the amount of mentaiko as a topping. If you ever visit Dazaifu, be sure to stop by. Thank you for the meal.

On March 19, 2023 (Sunday) around 14:40, I made a surprise visit to Fukutaro near Dazaifu Station. This is a super famous store that sells the well-known Fukuoka souvenir "Menbe." The store is particularly famous for its grilled rice balls. When I visited, they had temporarily stopped taking orders, but as soon as I entered, they announced that they were resuming sales, so I quickly ordered the grilled rice balls. Store Features: - The store sells both souvenirs and food. - Payment is made when ordering and various payment methods are accepted. - They have the rare Menbe available for sale. Order: - Mentaiko Grilled Rice Ball / ¥230 - Shiso + Mentaiko Topping / ¥50 The flat, round grilled rice ball, wrapped in nori with mentaiko and shiso, is a handheld food. The well-grilled rice ball has a hot and crispy texture, complemented by the refreshing shiso and flavorful mentaiko. Although parts of the grilled rice ball and nori may stick to your teeth, this combination is undeniably delicious. Needless to say, I finished it in no time! Overall, this fast food is irresistible for mentaiko lovers. If the timing is right and there's only a 10-minute wait, you should definitely try it for its deliciousness! If I revisit, I would love to try their dashi ochazuke. Thank you for the meal!

I waited for 30 minutes, passing the time by strolling around the nearby approach, and went when it seemed like I would be called. I ate Shiso Mentaiko, and it was very delicious as the original flavor of rice ball, the taste of mentaiko, and the taste of shiso matched well. It was a bit difficult to tear the seaweed and eat it.

After finishing a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and enjoying freshly baked Umebachi mochi on the approach, it's time to buy some souvenirs for home. I headed to "Fukutarou Dazaifu Store," which was crowded with people even outside. I purchased Fukutarou's iconic mentaiko rice cracker called "menbei." Menbei is a souvenir snack made by the Fukuoka-based spicy cod roe veteran "Yamaguchi Aburaya Fukutarou." Since its release in 2001, this popular product has been selling over 3 billion yen annually. The 3rd generation president wanted to create a long-lasting product, so he used high-quality mentaiko and mixed it with the squid and octopus they handle in-house, giving it a unique umami flavor. It has now become a popular product alongside their main mentaiko. The factory produces 250,000 pieces of "menbei" per day. The crispy texture is delightful, with a hard, spicy rice cracker made by directly kneading mentaiko and seafood. Currently, you can enjoy seven flavors: "plain," "green onion," "mayonnaise," "onion," "bonito," "spicy," and "shrimp flavor."

For lunch, I had ochazuke, but I got a little hungry later so I bought a grilled onigiri on my way home. I added green shiso and mentaiko toppings for an extra 50 yen, which was a great deal. The mentaiko from Fukutaro had a nice touch of alcohol in it. Different shops have different flavors of mentaiko, so it was enjoyable. When I bought a set of six menbei crackers, they asked me to roll a dice and I ended up winning a souvenir, which made me feel lucky. Ume gaeshi mochi is good, but the mentaiko grilled onigiri is also delicious! Thank you for the meal.

I bought a grilled rice ball with shiso and mentaiko near here because I hadn't had breakfast. It was delicious to be able to eat tasty mentaiko in a grilled rice ball. The rice ball is very sweet, so it tends to fall apart easily.

Fukutarou's "Menbei" is now becoming a staple souvenir from Hakata. Menbei, which incorporates pickled spicy cod roe, has gained popularity in the past decade. I recently visited the Dazaifu store, one of the many Fukutarou shops in Fukuoka. Fukutarou is originally a long-established mentaiko (spicy cod roe) shop, and Menbei is a rice cracker made with their pickled mentaiko. It has a light taste and you can eat as many pieces as you want. The spiciness is mixed into the rice cracker, giving it a delicious seafood flavor and aroma. There are various flavors available now, such as green onion, bonito, and mayonnaise, but this time I was intrigued by the mentaiko butter flavor. The mild richness and flavor of butter spread in the rice cracker was unforgettable. I often use this as a souvenir when traveling outside the prefecture, as I want to showcase the flavors of Hakata. It's like a high-quality version of the typical squid or octopus rice crackers. It's a reliable Hakata souvenir from a long-established food store.

Menbei... refers to senbei (rice crackers) with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) flavor. This is sold by Fukutaro. Are you going to be a soft serve ice cream hunter? Come on, try the soft serve ice cream (*^O^*) But the person refused to eat it without even trying. Okay, so I ordered the Menbei soft serve ice cream matcha mix. It took 5 minutes for it to come out. They were too busy with the wait for grilled rice balls, so they couldn't allocate staff to the soft serve ice cream. When the soft serve ice cream came out, a piece of Menbei was stuck in it (^_^;) Wait, does it go together?? No, it doesn't!! Mentaiko has a bit of a raw smell, right? And then there's soft serve ice cream on top of that! There's no way they go together. I took out the Menbei and ate them separately. By the way, I have a food aversion to matcha. Yes, I am definitely a picky eater when it comes to matcha! ===========

I happened to pass by a shop called Fukutaro, famous for its menbei at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, and saw them grilling something that looked like a grilled rice ball! I decided to stop by and try it. The menbei grilled rice ball costs 230 yen and is a delicacy with shiso, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and seaweed rolled on top of a grilled rice ball. As expected, it was delicious in a simple way! I could eat as many as I wanted. It was the perfect breakfast that you can easily enjoy!

I wanted to visit Dazaifu this time if I had time. I didn't realize it was so close to Fukuoka. After finishing my prayers, I strolled along the approach, which is a famous tourist spot and quite lively. Among the hustle and bustle, I came across a shop that caught my eye. This shop specializes in mentaiko (spicy cod roe). Upon entering, I found out that the popular souvenir "Menbei" is also a product of this shop! The main item they sell at the storefront is grilled rice balls with mentaiko inside. They come wrapped in cute packaging that seems appealing to women. It's more about the atmosphere than the taste at this shop, I feel.

I went to Dazaifu! (Using a bus from Fukuoka Bus Terminal) Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine was as crowded as ever with students on school trips and visitors from overseas. After finishing my visit, I strolled around and came across a stylish shop called Fukutarou, about a 3-minute walk from the station. It reopened in 2018 and is known for its popular souvenir, Menbei, which you can sample different varieties of. They also offer tastings of chilled mentaiko (spicy cod roe). I was intrigued by the MENTAI grilled rice balls for a quick snack, but they are made to order and take about 10 minutes. There are 2-3 counter seats available for dining in, or you can enjoy it on the go. They also have bulk packs of the classic "Menbei" available!

The appearance was cute and the taste was delicious. Since there was mentaiko inside the grilled rice ball, personally I think it would have been better if only shiso was used as a topping.

I ordered a grilled rice ball for takeout because they had it. I chose the one with mentaiko and shiso, and since I only like certain things, I thought I would like to eat it again.